Control apparatus



June 13, 1950 F. D. JOESTING CONTROL APPARATUS Filed May 29, 194'? 3|wentor MM. attorney Patented June 13, 1950 CONTROL APPARATUS Frederick D. Joesting, Oak Park, 111., assignor to Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Application May 29, 1947, Serial No. 751,355

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to a pneumatic thermostat or the like selectively operable in a direct or a reverse sense by changing the main supply pressure and is an improvement over my prior Patent 2,310,293, issued February 9, 1943.

In temperature changing and controlling systems, it is sometimes desirable to circulate heating medium through piping and heat exchangers during the winter months and to circulate cooling medium through the same piping and heat exchangers during the summer months. When valves or other means are used to control the circulation of the heating medium in response to temperature changes of a space, it is obvious that the valves must be controlled to restrict flow on a temperature rise during the heating period and to increase the flow'on a temperature rise during the cooling period. Thermostats have been made which are effective to control such valves in one sense when supplied with air under a predetermined pressure and which function in a reverse sense when supplied with air at an appreciably different pressure, but these prior art devices are not completely satisfactory and are relatively complex and costly to manufacture. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a simple and improved reversible thermostat for controlling both heating and cooling systems.

It is a further object to provide an easily reversible thermostat using a single temperature responsive element and a single control mechanism.

It is an additional object to provide a summerwinter thermostat having only a single control knob and wherein the summer-winter control points may be adjusted so that the throttling ranges overlap or so that said ranges may be separated a desired amount.

It is also an object to provide a controller of the sort described wherein the control points for summer or winter operation may be so close together that the throttling ranges overlap, yet the operating sense of the device cannot be accidentally reversed under any reasonable operating conditions.

It is a more limited object to provide a controller that can be caused to operate in a reverse manner by shifting the efiective pivot point of a portion of the controller mechanism.

It is a somewhat similar object to provide a controller including a pivoted lever member wherein the manner of operation of the device may be reversed by changing the class of the lever member.

It is an additional object to provide a pneumatic control device which may be caused to operate in a predetermined and different manner by changing the relative operating position of the condition responsive element by changing the main supply air pressure,

2. These and other objects will become apparent upon a study of the following specification and drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic showing of a control system using the present thermostat, with parts of the thermostat being in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the thermostat similar to Figure 1 but with certain partsdifferently adjusted.

Figure 3 is a front elevation view of the thermostat in Figures 1 and 2.

The present thermostat I0 is designed for installation within a room air conditioning unit orcabinet, shown in, part at H, in a position to respond to return air temperature, and the adjustinet II for manual manipulation.

In Figure l, thermostat I0 is connected in controlling relation to a normally open pressure operated valve l3 by pipe or tubing I l, the valve l3 controlling the flow of temperature changing medium through pipe l5 and heat exchanger l6,

heat exchanger I6 preferably being located within cabinet ll. Valve [3 is conventional and is urged open by a compression spring I! which is opposed by a pneumatic motor !8, the operative" position of the valve I3 depending upon the air pressure exerted on the motor IS. The spring, l1 and motor I8 of valve l3 are so adjusted that '1 with 12 pounds per square inch pressure on themotor, for instance, valve I3 is closed; with 2: pounds pressure it is wide open. and with inter-y mediate air pressures, intermediate valve posi-,'

tions result.

Thermostat I0 is supplied with air from a suit-v 1 able source, such as a compressor, not shown, through pipe 2|. three-way valve 22, and. pipe or.- tube 23, with an alternative connection being provided through three-way valve 22, pipe 24,

pressure reducing valve 25 and pipe 26 to pipe 23. For convenience in this description, it may be assumed that the supply. pressure for pipe 2! leaf: 1"! pounds per square inch and that pressure reducing valve Z5 is adjusted to provide 13 pounds I per square inch pressure in pipe 26. With the handle of valve 22 adjusted to its winter position,

as shown, pipe 2| is in direct communication with pipe 23 and pipe 24 is shut ofif, pipe 23 thus being supplied with air at 17 pounds. When the handle is adjusted to its summer position, pipe 23 is shut off at its lower end and a passage is opened between pipes 2! and 24, hence pipe 23 is supplied with air at 13 pounds due to reducing valve 25.

The air passages in the thermostat II], the manner in which the thermostat varies the pressure in pipe [4, and the reversing of the action of the thermostat by changingthe supply line pressure, will become apparent in :the detailed description of said thermostat;

Thermostat l9 includes a mounting plate 3| adapted to be attached to the inside of cabinet H; or on a wall or the like, and to which base mem ber 32 is suitably secured in spaced relation. Nozzle 33 of control mechanismor valve 34 is adjustably mounted on base member.32, andis ar= ranged to cooperate with a valve plate 35. Valve plate 35 i movably mounted on1a?pair'of hinge? pins at its lower end and bears against nozzle 33 at its upper end, plate-35 being preferably substantially parallel to base member 32 so that it maysquarely engage the end of nozzle 33 in its closing-:position: Plate 35 isnormally held in closed position by a light coil springs 36 adjustab'ly carriedv by bolt 31'. screwed== intmbase memberr32.

Valve plate 35': mayvb'eforcedfoflmozzle 33 by projection 38" of lever 39*when said'? lever' 39: is sufliciently'rotated about :eitherof fulcrum'mem bers 4| or 42. Lever 39 is connectediiin operative relation: to 5 bimetal element 43:: by 'hinge pin: 44, and projection 38 1s movemagainst'plate 35-irra valve openingr directiomv when lever" 39 is rotated abouttf ulcrums'rmember' ll'; as in Figure l; by: an outwardnmovement of bimetal 43. Bimetal' 43; for the purpose of this disclosure; is'arranged with itshighexpansion side on the-'outer'side hence arise in temperature will 1 cause the lower end 5 to moveeinwardly; while=adecreasein temperature will. cause said lower" end" to move outwardly: When lever39- is rotated aboutfulcrum'4'2: asin Figure 2; outwardimovement ofb'imetal '43 tends" to move projection 38 away from platei-357 andf thud-permits closing of val-ve 3 4i The change in direction of" movement of projection 38' when lver =39 is-fulcrumedabout'a' different one offirl CTIIIIITIIIBmbBI'S' 41- and 42; although bimetal 43" movesin' thesame' direction; is due-tothe well known disposition of" forces" acting" onlever 39" when it functions" as a; second 'class leverwhen fnlcrumed on 41' and as a first class I lever when fulcrumed on'42i The upper" end" of" bimetal 43 is: secured" to a bracket member "4 fi'which is *pivotally' attached at itslower'end by'- pin'-45 to an adjustablesupport" 4-1; The" upper'en'd of the bracket" 46- is secured by hinge'pin' 48 to an a'd'justablel'ever 49 which in" turn is secured to supports 5l= by hinge pin The upper-endof'lever49 bears against cam 54" connected by shaft 55 to adjusting kn'ob' l2for rotation thereby. Rotation of cam 54moves the I upper end" of lever 49 in or out and thus shifts the upper end ofb'imeta'l43in' an opposite direction; Shifting-the upper end of bimetal 43, assuming that support-4T is' fixed, shifts the lower end ofthe' bimetal and requires a difierent temperature to cause operation of valve-34', thus knob l2ris'eifective to change the'control point'ofthe thermostat." The'rise ofcam 54' is considerably more than is necessary for ordinary adjustments, theextra rise being provided" for calibrating the instrument; The'calibrating may be done by adjusting cam: 54" until the thermostat? 10 controls to: a selected controlpoint: Then, without furtherra'djustment -of thecam,.54 knob I 2 is adj usted orr shaft". 557111113111 itindicat'es said control point; thesset screw: of" the knob: then'being tightened. While'thi's'calibratingprocedure is essentially co rect, minorichanges irr theaproc'edure may be used inlquantity production; @ompressionspring. 5'! is arrangedtunder 'theloweivendaofflever 4'9 tow-insure that the other end of said lever will remain in engagement with cam 54 at all times, and spring 58 is provided-to take up any lostr motionithat may exist at hinge pins and 43.

Although support 4'! is assumed to be fixed in the above discussion, it is actually adjustable to e'rther ofitWo positions. Support 4'! includes a hinge bracket 6!, through which pin 45 extends, secured to the outer end of member 62, the other endof, member-"62$ being attached to a disk 63.

Disk 53 is'arranged between a compression spring 64 and a fiexible'diaphragm 55, diaphragm 65 forming a movable wall of a pressure chamber 66. Pressure chamber 66 is connected by tube 51 to junction block 63 wherein passage 53 connects tube 5-? to pipe 23",, so that the supply lineair pressure is imposed? on said i chamber and" said diaphragm: Diap-hragmtii':and'spring'tfiaresw dicious adjustment of fulcrum members 4'! and 42; as Well es-limit steps 11' and" 12'; bimetal 43" proportioned that a" pressure: of 1'? pounds per' square inch" in chamber '35 will cause movement of disk" 63'--and-member-62' tothe left'against the forceoftspringthis motion beinglimitedby loclrnuts ll whiclrserve as' an adjustable-stop; hence a l'lpound pressureizr chamber'fidpositions bimetal43-to'a'left' extreme, as shown in Figure 1, and-requires-that lever 33pivot about fulcrummember-M; pressure in chamb'er 55' islowenough to be'over:

come by spring 53, hence=disks63=and member 62" are forced to' th'e'rightuntil stopped-bylocknuts T2; as-in-Figure 2; which form'the-other limitz stop for member-62:- W'hcnmember '52 is shiftedto its-'right'extreme; support'fl i's'then effectively fixed :in a different position and thedowe endfiof the -bimetal-53 is-moved inward sufficiently to require'lever 39 to pivot about fulcrum-42':

Theamount of movement ofb'imetal 43 caused by adjusting support 47 isin excess 'of thatcaused" by cam :54 and, asabove pointed out; is sufficient to -change the fulcrum' point ofl'ever 39: By jumay beadjusted to'operate valve34 atthe same temperatureregardless of whether lever 39 is pivoting-about 4 l or 4-2. preferred to adjust the present apparatus so' that valve 34 will be operated at a slightly higher temperature when lever 39 is pivoted on fulcrum 42- forcooling control" than when pivoting about fulcrum 4| for heating control: Because the amount" of movementof bimetal 43 required to causelever39-to shift from one fulcrum member to another is in excess of-the' movement of said bimetal due to normal" temperature changes or due to adjustments "by cam" 54'; accidental shifting'of'lever- 39' from one fulcrum to the other does not occur;

sinceiit is preferable'to shift the control point to a somewhat higher value for cooling control; for economy and because people prefer higher temperatures in the summer, it is not intended that knob Ilindicate the set point in degrees. Therefore, knob l2 merely has an indicating mark to showthe relative adjustment of the knob; and arrows are provided, either on the knob or'the cabinet, to show the direction of adjustment' for higher or lower control points. Of course; ifdesired, two scales may be provided, one being for heating control and the other for cooling'control; these plates being arranged so'that theirvalues are out of alignment by the amount of variation in control point due to changing the operating sense ofthe device. Thus, with the values assumed in the following description of operation, 70 on the heating control scale plate A13 pound per square inch However; it" is generally would align with 74 on the cooling control scale plate. If the device is adjusted to give the .same control point on shifting from heating control to cooling control, then a single scale plate is adequate.

In addition to air passage 69 in junction block 68, passage 14 connects tube l4 and tube 15 which extends between block 68 and nozzle 33. A transverse passage 76, restricted by needle valve 11, connects passages 69 and 14 so that air from the supply piping is furnished to the tubing and passages connecting nozzle 33 and motor [8 at a restricted rate. The purpose of these connections, as well as the function of the above thermostat mechanism, will be pointed out in the following description of operation.

Operation With the apparatus connected as shown in Figure 1, and by assuming certain conditions of temperature and pressure, the operation will now be considered. As described above, with IT pounds per square inch pressure in pipe 2|, equal pressures will exist in tubes 23, passage 68, tube 6'! and chamber 66. Because of the 17 pound pressure in chamber 65, support 41 is adjusted to its outermost position with stop H engaging base member 32 and, as a function of this adjustment of support 41, lever 39 is adjusted to fulcrum about member 4|, as above described.

Assuming that thermostat has a three degree throttling range and is adjusted to close the valve 34 at about 73, and to fully open'it at about 70, it may now be considered that the space temperature afiecting bimetal 43 is about 73 and valve 34 is closed. Because valve 34 is closed, the air fed through passage "5 at a restricted rate cannot escape, hence the pressure at valve 34 and at motor [8 builds up to 17 pounds per square inch. As this is over the 12 pounds required to close valve l3, valve I3 is closed and no heating medium can flow to heat exchanger I6, hence the space temperature should decrease.

As the space temperature falls, and the high expansion outer side of bimetal 43 contracts, the lower end of the bimetal moves outwardly and operates lever 39 to pry valve plate 35 off nozzle 33' sufiiciently to permit air to escape to thus cause a drop in air pressure at nozzle 33 and at motor [8. As this pressure drops below 12 pounds, spring I! is enabled to partially open valve l3 and permit some heating medium to flow to heat exchanger I6. Should the medium be supplied at the exact rate desired to balance the heat loss from the space, equilibrium will result and the apparatus will remain in the position just described. Howevenif the temperature in the space decreases further, valve 34 is opened wider and the pressure at motor I8 is further diminished, thus further opening valve l3 to supply more heating medium. Should the temperature decrease to 70", valve 34 will further open, the pressure at nozzle 33 and at motor l8 will go below 2 pounds per square inch and valve [3 will be fully opened. Should the temperature in the space rise, the lower end of bimetal 43 willmove inward, valve 34 will be operated toward closed position, pressure will again build up at motor !8 and valve l3 will accordingly be adjusted toward closed position.

Thermostat I0 is operated to efiect cooling control by operating valve 22 to its summer position so that the air supplied tube 23 must pass through reducing valve 25, hence the supply pressure, and that in chamber 66, is 13 pounds instead of the 6 previous 1'7 pounds. At the same time, suitable apparatus, not shown, is operated to supply cooling medium to pipe instead of the heatin medium discussed above.

With a 13 pound pressure in chamber 66, support 41 is moved to its right extreme by spring 64, as in Figure 2, so that stop 12 engages base member 32. This shifts bimetal 43 enough to cause lever 39 to fulcrum about 42 and, assuming that the apparatus is so adjusted that the shift from a heating control cycle to a cooling control cycle raises the control point tour degrees, it may be assumed that valve 34 will be closed at 74 and fully open at 77 hence, since valve 34 is closed in Figure 2, it may be further assumed that the temperature affecting bimetal 43 is 74 or lower. With valve 34 closed, 13 pounds air pressure is imposed on motor l8 of valve l3, hence the valve 13 is closed and no cooling medium can circulate to heat exchanger l6.

Should the space temperature now rise, the lower end of bimetal 43 will move inward, as before, but lever 39, because it is now fulcrumed on 42, will operate to open valve 34. Opening valve 34 reduces the pressure imposed on motor l8 and thus causes opening of valve l3 to permit a new of cooling medium to heat exchanger l6. Likewise, when sufficient cooling medium is being supplied to cause a drop in temperature, the outer side of bimetal 43 contracts and the lower end moves outwardly, thus tending to move projection of 38 of lever 33 away from valve plate 35 and permitting closure of valve 34. Closing valve 34 permits pressure to build up at motor l8 and thus closes valve l3 to prevent further circulation of cooling medium to heat exchanger l5.

While the action of the present apparatus has been discussed in terms of opening and closing of valves 34 and !3, it is believed obvious from the disclosure that valve 34 will generally be partly open and the pressure imposed on motor T8 of valve I3 will be such that the valve will be sufficiently open to supply temperature chang- I ing medium at a rate to maintain substantially uniform temperatures, the present apparatus, on either cycle, functioning as a conventional proportioning control system. However, it seems obvious that an on-oit thermostat may be reversed in the manner described and it is further contemplated that control mechanism other than a valve and shifting means other than a pressure chamber may be used. Further, the control 56 point valves used in the description of the operation are only illustrative and any other desired valves, for either summer or winter control, may be obtained by suitably adjustin knob l2. s

As many substitutions and equivalents seem feasible in the practice of this invention, its scope is to be determined only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A thermostat comprising, in combination, a base member, an adjustable cam means arranged on said base member, a pivotally mounted lever having one end bearing against said cam means, a bimetal strip pivotally attached to the 70 other end of said lever, a flapper valve means,

a lever having an intermediate portion for actuating said valve means, hinge means for attaching one end of said lever to said bimetal strip, a pair of spaced fulcrum members attached 75 to said base member and arranged so that one aernaeo;

of said. members may" fulcrumv said". lever on one: side: of said: valve aatuatin'g". portion and: the? other may fnlcrurrrsai'd lever" on the? other: side: of said valve actuating portion, and; pressure re-- sponsive means for; moving said bimetal strip to either. of two' working positions, one of the working'positions' requiring the use of one of said'fulcrum members and the other position requiring the'useof the other of said fulcrum members;

2. A thermostat comprising, in combination, a temperature responsive element, a valve" adjusting means including a lever pivotally attached to said element for operation thereby, said lever including an. intermediate valve actuating portion, apair-of stationary fulcrum members arranged to coast with said lever on opposite sides of said actuating portion so that said lever may be. operated either as a first class lever or as a second class lever by pivoting about one or theother of said fulcrum members for'adjustin'g the valve means, and pressure responsive means for shifting said element relative to said fulcrum members so thata selected one of said fulcrum members is eiiectivefor fulcruming said lever.

3. A summer-winter thermostat comprising, in combination, a temperature responsive element, a control mechanism including a lever for operating said mechanism, one-end of said lever'being connected to said temperature responsive element for operation thereby, a pair of fill-'- crum members spaced along said lever for co:- action therewith; said members being so arranged that said lever operates said mechanism as a first class lever when one of said members is used and as a second class lever when the other of said members is used to thereby reverse the sequence of operation of said thermostat, and means for causing said lever to selectively'pivot about one or the other of said fulcrum members.

4. A thermostat comprising a bimetal strip pivotally mounted atone of its ends, a lever hingedly attached to the other end of said strip, said lever including an operating portion, a pair: of. fixed fulcrum members, one of said members being arranged for fulcruming said lever'on one side of said operating portion and the other of saidmembers being arranged for fulcruming said lever" on the other side of said operating portion, and means for moving said bimetal strip relative to said fulcrum members so that said lever may normally fulcrum about a selected one of said fulcrum members.

5. In a control device having a base, a condition responsive element, spaced pivot means for connecting said element to said base, a control; mechanism, means for connecting said element in. operative: relation to said mechanism, saidconnecting means including a lever means selectively operable as a first class lever or as a second class lever to thereby operate said control mechanism in'one direction or another upon motion of said element in one direction, pressure operated means for moving one of said pivot means for determining the class of operation of said lever means, and manually adjustable means for moving another of said spaced pivot means. for determining the value of said condition at. Which said mechanism is operated.

6. In a pneumatic control device, a base; a con-- dition responsive element, a pair of spaced. pivots for attaching said element to said base, a control. mechanism, mechanical means for connecting; said element in operative relation to said mechanism, said connecting means including a lever.

selectively" operable; as. a first class? lever: or as a' second class'slever to thereby" operate said control mechanism in one directionor another'upon motion of 'said elementin'one'direction, and meansv for shifting one of said spaced pivots to thus shift said element relative: to said. mechanisnr and thereby determine" the? class of? operation of said lever means.

7. In a control devicehaving a base, a' condition responsive element, a control mechanism, a pair'of spaced pivots for attaching. said element to said base, means for connecting said element in operative relation to said mechanism, said connecting.- means including a lever'selectively operable asi a'first class lever or as a second class leverJt'o thereby operate said control mechanism in one direction or another upon motion of said element in one direction, means for shifting one; of said spaced pivots for adjusting said control device to operate at predetermined valuesof. said condition, and means for shifting the other of said'spaced pivots a predetermined amount to select the'class-of operation of saidlever to thereby determine the operating sense of saiddevice.

8. In a control device havinga base, a condition responsive element, spaced shiftable pivot means for attaching said element to said base, a control mechanism; means for connecting said element in operative'relation to said mechanism, said connecting means'beingcapable of operating said mechanismin' either of two directions upon movement of said-element in one direction, means for changing the operative position of one of said pivot means for determining'the values of said condition atwhich said mechanism will operate, and means for varying the relation between said element and said mechanism a relatively large and predetermined amount by changing the position of another of said pivot means a predetermined amount for thus determining thedirectionofoperation of said'mechanism-relative to the direction of operation of said element.

9. In a control device, a' control member having a control portion, spaced pivot means-for coacting with. said control member at points spaced from the control portion thereof in onposite directions, movable condition responsive means connected tosaidcontrol member at another point spaced from the control portion thereof so that movement of said condition responsive meansupon change-in the value of the conditionto which it responds in one direction causes'movementof saidv control portion about one of said pivot meanszin a first direction, and means for. shifting the operative relation of said spaced pivot. means so. that movement of said condition responsivemeans in the same direction causes movement of said control portion in a directiontopposite to. said first direction.

FREDERICK D. JOESTING;

REFERENCE 5 CK'EED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED' STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,064,175 Otto .Dec. 15, 1936 2,141,464 Gorrie Dec. 27, 193-8 2,285,513 Harris; June 9, 1942 2,310,293 Joesting Feb. 9, 1943 

